The Education Secretary failed to deny that he is lining up Conservative donor Theodore Agnew for the job

Michael Gove has refused to rule out appointing a Tory crony to be the new head of Ofsted.

The Education Secretary was accused of a “blatant” attempt to politicise the schools watchdog by refusing to keep Labour peer Sally Morgan as its chairman.

He failed three times to deny that Conservative donor Theodore Agnew was being lined up for the post when quizzed.

Asked if Mr Agnew, who has given £134,000 to the Tories, will replace Baroness Morgan, Mr Gove said: “No one should be ruled out on basis of political allegiance”.

Multi-millionaire Mr Agnew is a trustee of the Policy Exchange think tank which Mr Gove helped establish and who now sits on the Department for Education’s academies board.

Harriet Harman said Lady Morgan was part of a Tory “cull of serious, authoritative women” from key posts.

The Labour deputy leader called for a committee of MPs to investigate the decision. She said: “It’s like raining men in the Tory party. What’s your problem with women?”

The Lib Dems also turned on Mr Gove, warning they not accept a “Tory donor ideologue” to chair the watchdog.

“Education policy is far more important than rewarding a few Tory cronies. The Lib Dems will not let our children’s education be dictated by some Tory donor ideologue,” a Lib Dem source said.

Lib Dem schools minister David Laws let it be known he was “absolutely furious” over the removal of Lady Morgan and the attempt to politicise Ofsted.

A source close to Mr Laws said: “The decision to get rid of Sally Morgan had absolutely nothing to do with her abilities, or even education policy, and everything to do with Michael Gove’s desire to get his own people on board.

“David Laws is absolutely determined not to let Michael undermine the independence of this vital part of the education system.”

A senior No 10 source hit back at the Lib Dems saying it was a desperate attempt by a party on 9% in the polls to “show relevance.”

“We are just getting on running the country,” said the source.

Lady Morgan pointed the finger at Downing Street for the decision not to renew her appointed at the end of her three-year term.

She noted that Labour supporting women had also been removed from the Arts Council and the Charity Commission since the Tories came to power in 2010.

“I really do think it’s just I am the latest of a fairly long list of people now who are non-Conservative supporters who are not being reappointed.

“Often they are people who have been working really well with their organisations and, indeed, with their host departments, so I do think this is coming from Number 10,” she said.

Mr Gove denied Lady Morgan had been removed because she was Labour.

He told BBC Andrew Marr show she had done a “fantastic job” at Ofsted but that it was “good corporate practice” to regularly “refresh” the leadership of such organisations.

“From time to time you need to refresh the person who is the chair of a particular body in order to bring a new pair of eyes to bear. At the end of an individual term I think it is appropriate to consider whether or not we might need to have a new person who can bring a new perspective,” he said.

He added: “This Government is perfectly happy to appoint people whatever their political background to important jobs. I appointed Sally (Lady Morgan) in the first place knowing she was Labour.

“If there’s a John Reid or if there’s John Hutton (former Labour cabinet ministers), if there’s an outstanding Labour candidate who wants to do it, then I and the Government will look on their application with the same degree of favour as we would on anyone else who is highly qualified.”

The latest row comes just a week after Chief Inspector of Education Sir Michael Wilshaw voiced his anger at the Education Secretary in the wake of media reports that two right-wing think tanks were drawing up plans to reform or even replace Ofsted.